Means for automatically stopping machines wherein material is unwound from a holder



Ma 12; 1936. J. H. LARMUTH 2,040,144

MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES WHEREIN MATERIAL IS UNWOUND FROM A HOLDER Filed Nov. 22, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet l y 1935- J. H LARMUTH 2,040,144

. MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES WHEREIN MATERIAL IS UNWOUND FROM A HOLDER Filed Nov'. 22, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2' Fig.4-

May 12, 1936. J H, L U H 2,040,144

MEANS FOR AUTOMATI CALLY STOPPING MACHINES WHEREIN MATERIAL IS UNWOUND FROM A HOLDER Filed Nov. 2-2, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 *"ITIIJ'F 4 x [amnion ,?W ERWQEQMLM May 12, 1936. J H LARMUTH 2,040,144

- MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES WHEREIN MATERIAL IS UNWOUND FROM A HOLDER Filed Nov. 22, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 flttorrwy.

May 12, 1936. J H. LARMUTH 2,040,144 MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES WHEREIN MATERIAL IS U NWOUND FROM A HOLDER Filed NOV. 22, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented May 12, 1936 PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY STOPPING MACHINES WHEREIN MATERIAL IS UN- WOUND FROM A HOLDER John Hamilton Larmuth, Hill Crest, Upper Colwyn Bay, North Wales Application November 22,

1934, Serial No.

754,198. In Great Britain November 28, 1933 4 Claims.

This invention relates to means for automatically stopping machines wherein material 7 such as a wire, cord, yarn, strip, tape, strand,

rope or cable is unwound from a holder, such as a bobbin, cheese holder or swift, some examples I of such machines being stranding machines, closing machines, braiding machines, core lapping machines, and rewinding machines.

It has hitherto been proposed to provide means for automatically stopping the said machines on breakage or complete exhaustion of the wire, cord or yarn, but the previously proposed means did not prevent continued running of the machine before complete exhaustion of wire, cord or yarn, and the difficulties of reestablishing working conditions after exhaustion are considerably greater than just before exhaustion.

The object of my invention is to enable stoppage of the machine to take place automatically at a suitable time before exhaustion of any of the materials takes place, thereby warning the operative of the necessity for replenishment before exhaustion has actually taken place and thereby avoiding the difficulties occasioned by the end of the wire, cord or yarn leaving the holder before the machine stops.

Means for automatically stopping machines wherein material consisting of wire, cord, yarn, strip, tape, strand, rope or cable is unwound from a holder comprises in accordance with my invention a movable feeler adapted to be restrained from outward movement by the inward pressure of one or more coils of material, and to move into a position where it will directly or indirectly set a stopping mechanism into operation, when released by unwinding of the said coil or coils.

The feeler may be in the form of a pivotal arm acted on by spring means and maintained out of operative position against the action of the spring means by pressure of the said coil or coils acting through a'gap or aperture in the holder.

. Alternatively the feeler may be in the form of a spring forced against the holding surface or into a gap or aperture therein by the coil or coils.

The feeler may be provided on a mounting adapted to be attached to or receive the holder, or on the holder itself.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a'side view in vertical section of a bobbin of a stranding machine.

Figure 2 is an end view thereof.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary side view in vertical section of another bobbin of ,a stranding machine and illustrates another construction.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view in section of a portion of a stranding machine of one kind.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view and Figure 6 a fragmentary end view in section showing different details of the said machine. QM

Figure '7 is a plan view in section of a portion of a stranding machine of another kind, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary end view in sections showing a detail thereof.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion 10 of a stranding machine of still another kind, and

Figure 10 is a diagrammatic end View of a portion of the last named machine.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary view in longitudinal section of a base tube and paper tube of a brading machine.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary elevation thereof regarded from another angle.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary plan view of a part of a braiding machine.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary view in vertical section taken on line I4-I4 of Figure 13.

Figure 15 is a fragmentary elevation of a paper tube of a braiding machine and illustrates a modification.

Referring to the drawings, in the construction of bobbin shown in Figures 1 and 2, the bobbin I has an axial hole 2 provided in one end and breaking through the holding surface 3 and 4 to form an aperture in the said surface. The hole 2 go is engaged by an axially arranged plug 5 having a flange 6 which is situated outside the hole 2 and is suitably secured for example by screws 9, to the end of the bobbin I. The plug 5 has an extension I situated in the interior of the bobbin.

A slot 8 extending from end to end of the plug 5 and through the flange 6 and extension I, and situated radially relative to the bobbin I is provided and accommodates an arm I 0 which has one end pivotally mounted at 83 in the slot 8. The arm I0 is free to move in the slot 8 and extends outside the end of the bobbin I. A radial cavity is provided in the flange 6 to accommodate a compression spring II which acts to turn the arm I 0 in a radially outward direction.

The arm ID has a feeling surface I2 which engages the aperture 4 in the holding surface 3 and lies flush with the said surface when the arm.- III is in the inoperative position (shown in full lines), and the spring I I acts to force the feeling surface l2 above the holding surface 3 and the projecting end of the arm from one position into another (indicated by dot-and-dash lines.)

In operation, the winding of the material, for example wire, on to the holding surface 3 of the 5,5

bobbin l is commenced from the opposite end to that hereinbefore referred to and proceeds towards the last named end until a coil or coils l3 extend over the slot in the bobbin and depress the arm l against the action of the spring H.

In the unwinding of the bobbin l a time arrives when the said coil or coils I3 are unwound from the bobbin l and release the arm In which is thereupon swung outwards by the spring H, whereby the projecting end of the arm I6 is caused to occupy a new position, see dot-and-dash lines, and actuate mechanism for automatically stopping the machine before the last portion of the material has been unwound from the bobbin.

Figures 4 to 6 show one form of mechanism for actuation by the said arm, applied byway of example to a stranding machine in which the bobbin l is carried by a cradle 14 mounted by means of trunnions I5 and brackets l6 and 2| inside the rotary tube I1 or frame of the machine. The mechanism comprises a slidable rod [8 connected to a slide l9 mounted slidably on thecradle and acted on by a compression spring 28 which operates to push the rod l8 towards the bracket 2|.

The slide has a keyhole slot 22 the enlarged part of which is normally engaged by a head 23 of a pin 24 to lock the slide I9 and rod [8 against the action of the spring 20. The pin 24 is retained in the locking position by a compression spring 25, and in this position its conical end 26 is struck by the arm when the arm is in the position shown in dash-and-dot lines in Figure l and the bobbin I is rotating. Impingement of the arm against the end 26 actuates the pin 24 against the action of the spring 25 and thereby forces the head 23 out of the keyhole slot 22. On the slide [9 and rod l8 being thus released, the action of the spring 26 displaces them towards the bracket 2|.

The bracket 2| is provided with a slide 21 loaded by a compression spring 28 and having a rod 29. The slide 21 is locked by the head 30 of a pin 3| against actuation by the spring 28, the said head being held in engagement with the enlarged part of a keyhole slot 32 provided in the slide 21. The pin 3| is retained in the locking position by a compression spring 33 until the rod I8 is displaced towards the bracket 2|, whereupon the rotation of the pin 3| with the bracket 2| and. tube I! or frame causes its conical end 34 to impinge against the rounded head 35 of the rod l8 and the pin 3| to be thereby actuated against the action of the spring 33 to release the slide 21. The spring 28 thereupon actuates the slide 21 and rod 29 in an outward direction. The rod then impinges against and actuates the tumable control arm 36 of an electric switch 31 which controls the drive of the machine. The rod 29 may alternatively control an automatic belt shifting motion or other means of bringing the machine toa standstill.

In Figures 7 and .8 the bobbin l is shown in use in a stranding machine wherein the bobbin l is mounted on a mandrel 38 mounted co-axially with the rotary tube 39 or frame in brackets 40 and 4| provided on the tube 39 or frame. A spring loaded slide 42 and. rod 43 are slidably mounted on the bracket 4! and locked in the withdrawn position by means of a head 44 provided on a pin 45 andengaglng the enlarged part of a keyhole slot 46 in the slide 42. The pin 45 is held in the locking position by a compression spring 84 until its conical head 41 is struck by the arm ID on the rotating bobbin I. after the latter has been allowed to assume its operative position by removal of the coil or coils which control it. The rod when in the outwardly projected position serves to actuate locally stationary means which when actuated bring the machine to a standstill.

Figures 9 and show the use of bobbins I in a stranding machine in which the bobbins l are mounted in cradles 49 to revolve about a common centre 48. Each cradle 49 is provided with rod, slide and pin means 59, 5| and 52 similar to the rod, slide and pin means I 8, 19 and 25- of Figures 4 and 5, but with the rounded head 25 omitted. Electric switches having arms 53 r or other drive controlling means or trip motions are fixed in position where they will be operated to stop the machine when any of the rods 59 move into operative position.

If it is desired that the arm on the bobbin shall come into operation when a less number of coils than that shown remains on the bobbin,

the arrangement shown in Figure 3 may be emp-loyed instead of that shown in Figures 1 and 2. In Figure 3, an arm 54 extends across the width of the bobbin and is pivoted at 55, its end being acted on by a compression spring 56 which operates to turn the arm into the position shown in dot-and-dash lines. The arm 54 has a feeler surface 51 on a lug 58 which is accommodated by a slot 59 in the holding surface 69 of the bobbin. The arm 54 is released when only half a layer of coils remains on the bobbin. By positioning the lug 58 and slot 59 at the requisite point along the width of the surface 69, the arm 54 can be released when the remaining coils on the surface 66 have fallen to any desired number. In another construction, as applied by way of example to a braiding machine, each cheese is mounted on a holding tube 6| provided with an axial slot 62 in the end and the tube 6| is placed on a base tube 63 having an axially directed rib 64 which engages the slot 62. The rib 64 has a slot 65 in which one end of an arm 66 is pivoted at 61 to swing late-rally of the tube 63. A spring 68 provided in a hole 10 in the tube 63 acts on the arm 66 to drive it outwards. The arm 66 has a feeling surface H which is acted on by one or more coils 12 near the end of the material forming the cheese, where the coils extend across the slot 62, whereby the arm 66 is held in inoperative position against the action of the spring 68. This construction operates in a similar manner to the previously described construction, the arm 66 when released by the unwinding of the said coil or coils 12 being forced by the spring 66 into a new position where it is capable of actuating a trip motion direct or through a suitable mechanism.

' Figures 13 and 14 illustrates two of the said tube 6| and base tubes 63 employed in horizontal and vertical positions respectively on a braiding machine comprising a shuttle 13 rotating in a. circular path inside an annular table 14 which also rotates in the reverse direction. The mechanism shown for operating a locally stationary trip motion when the arm 66 of the horizontal base tube 63 is in its projected position comprises a spindle which is turnably mounted on the table 14 and has a striking arm 16 above the table 14 and a motion transferring arm 11 beneath the table 14. The arm 11 is connected to a rod 18 which is slidably mounted beneath the table. The shuttle 13 is furnished with a pin, slide and rod arrangement similar to those hereinbefore described, the rod 80 of the said arrangement when projected striking the arm 16 and thereby causing the rod 18 to be projected to operate the locally stationary trip motion.

The mechanism shown for operating the locally stationary trip motion when the arm 66 of the vertical base tube 63, Figures 13 and 14, is in the projected position comprises a bracket 19 supported by the table 14 and carrying a pin, slide and rod arrangement similar to those hereinbefore described, the rod of the said arrangement serving when projected to operate the 10- cally stationary trip motion.

Instead of providing the arm 66 on the base tube 63, it may be provided on the holding tube 6 I.

Instead of an arm 66 on a slotted holding tube 6!, a spring 8|, Figure 15 may be employed on a non-slotted holding tube 82 to be resiliently pressed by the coil or coils against the holding surface of the tube 82 into an inoperative position and flex into the shown operative position when relieved of pressure by the unwinding of the said coil or coils.

I claim- 7 1. In a machine comprising a rotating holder from which material is uncoiled, a differently rotating part on which the holder is mounted, and a locally stationary trip motion, an automatic stopping means comprising in combination a spring-loaded feeler provided on the rotating holder and moving into an active position when released by the uncoiling of the material, a spring loaded catch pin which is slidably mounted on the said differently rotating part and is tripped by the said feeler, a spring loaded slide rod which is also mounted on the differently rotating part and is held by the said catch pin until the catch pin is tripped but is projected when the said pin is tripped for impingement against the locally stationary trip motion.

2. In a machine possessing a rotating part, a cradle floating in the rotating part, and a bobbin rotatably mounted in the cradle at right angles to the axis of rotation of the rotating part, the combination of a machine stopping trip motion located adjacent the rotating part, a spring loaded rod rotating with the rotating part for actuation of the stopping device, a spring loaded catch rotating with the rotating part for releasably holding the said rod in an inoperative position, a spring loaded rod provided on the cradle for release by the spring loaded catch, a spring loaded catch provided on the cradle for releasably holding the second named rod in an inoperative position, and a feeler provided on the bobbin and controlled by material coiled thereon for tripping the last named spring loaded catch when nearly all the material has been uncoiled from the bobbin.

3. In a machine possessing a rotating part, a member free to rotate independently of the rotating part and a bobbin rotatably mounted in the said member at right angles to the axis of rotation of the rotary part, the combination of a trip motion located adjacent the rotating part, a rod slidably mounted on the rotating part and operatively impinging in one position against the trip motion, means on the rotating part for producing movement of the rod into the said position, a spring-loaded rod slidably mounted on the said member and operatively impinging in one position against the said means, a spring catch provided on the said member for holding the second named rod out of the said position, and feeler means provided on the bobbin and controlled by material coiled on the bobbin for releasing the spring catch by impingment thereagainst when the said material is nearly exhausted.

4. The means for automatically stopping machines wherein material is carried in coils on a rotary holder which is mounted on a cradle floating in bearing brackets provided on a rotary member, comprising oscillatable means provided on and rotating with the bobbin in combination with a spring-loaded catch on the cradle for actuation by lateral impingement of the oscillatable means thereagainst, a slidable spring loaded rod on the cradle for release by the said actuation of the spring-loaded catch, a spring loaded catch on one of the said bearing brackets for release by lateral impingement of the spring-loaded rod thereagainst, a slidable spring-loaded rod on the said bracket for release by the second named spring-loaded catch, a stopping trip motion located adjacent the said rotary member, and a trip member on the said trip motion for actuation by lateral impingement of the second named spring rod thereagainst.

JOHN HAMILTON LARMUTH. 

